Game 67: They'll Take It

Get this: The Blue Jackets lost tonight, yet moved into second place in the Metropolitan Division.

A single point earned in a 4-3 shootout loss to San Jose tonight in Nationwide Arena pushed the Jackets past the New York Rangers, who lost to 2-1 at Minnesota.

The Jackets, of course, would have preferred the full two points.

But they’ll take the one, secured by a cracker of a third-period equalizer scored by James Wisniewski with 4:58 left in regulation. The Jackets move on. The Jackets move up, tied with the Rangers on points (74) but ahead of New York in the standings because of a game in hand.

“As a coach, you have to try to take the emotion out of it, the emotion of winning games and losing games,” Blue Jackets coach Todd Richards said. “We got a point tonight. We would have loved to have gotten two. But you look at the way that the team played … I thought we played a hard game against a very good hockey team, a fast hockey team.

“Prior to the Olympic break, when we played them in their building, they handled us pretty easily. Playing in L.A. the night before probably didn’t help, but they looked like the better team that night. I thought tonight we stood toe-to-toe with them.”

Progress, to use one word.

“That’s a good team over there, a tough team to play against,” said Blue Jackets center Brandon Dubinsky, who had two assists. “I thought our guys stood in there and did a hell of a job. I think the boys feel good about our team and who we are and where we’re going.”

Wisniewski, Ryan Johansen and R.J. Umberger scored the regulation goals for the Blue Jackets. Matt Nieto had one goal and Patrick Marleau had two goals for the streaking Sharks, who won a fourth straight but took their two points back to the Western Conference.

Joe Pavelski was the only shooter to score in the shootout, beating Sergei Bobrovsky (27 shots, 24 saves) with a backhand over the right pad.

Cam Atkinson, making his return to the Jackets lineup after three straight healthy scratches, was the contest’s final shooter. But his attempt ended when the puck trickled off the end of his stick before he could get off a shot, and the Sharks came over the boards to revel in front of an announced crowd of 13,851.

Yet there was much for the home folk to like about a fast-paced, rush-filled game.

The Blue Jackets (34-26-6) took a 1-0 lead only 5:28 into the first period. Ryan Johansen scored his 26th goal (50th point) after Nick Foligno left him a puck from his knees in the slot.

Marleau answered at 10:53, poking a feed from the corner inside the right post when he was left alone in front of Bobrovsky.

R.J. Umberger made it 2-1 with a short-handed goal at 3:05 of the second, capping a 5-on-3 kill, latching onto a well-placed clearance by Dubinsky and finishing his breakaway with a 5-hole job on Sharks rookie goalie Alex Stalock.

The Jackets got jumped at the start of the third. Nieto scored just 15 second into the period (big rebound) and Marleau put the Sharks up 3-2 with a power-play goal at 5:56.

Wisniewski tied it late. He crept into the zone as Dubinsky hogged a puck along the opposite wall, drawing defenders to the strong side. When Dubinsky finally let it go, Wisniewski was waiting all alone at the top of the right circle. He had time. He picked his spot. 3-3.

Said Dubinsky: “The seas parted a little bit. We all know he can shoot the puck. That was an absolute bomb at a key moment.”

Said Wisniewski: “I just backed up to my point. I saw it was wide open. Dubie got it over to me and I had all the time in the world.”

Johansen, Mark Letestu and Atkinson came up dry for the Jackets in the shootout. Bobrovsky denied Logan Couture with a pad save, Pavelski earned the Sharks their 93rd point, drawing San Jose (43-17-7) even on points with Pacific Division leader Los Angeles (43-16-7).

Side dishes

-- C Artem Anisimov missed tonight's game after his wife gave birth to the couple's first child earlier today. Congrats, Artie. Congrats, Mrs. Artie. Welcome to the world, young lady.

-- C Mark Letestu moved up into Anisimov's role as the third-line center (or is that the second line?). But it was C Brandon Dubinsky who feasted on Anisimov's minutes. Dubinsky played 21:10, had two assists, tied for the team high in shots (5), had four hits and won a club best 11 faceoffs.

-- RW R.J. Umberger's short-handed goal in the second period is the seventh of his career and first since March 22, 2011 vs. Colorado. And what a play by Dubinsky to set him up, shoving to Sharks together to jar the puck loose before spotting Umberger upon his freedom from the penalty box.

-- Sharks rookie G Alex Stalock was very good tonight. He had 35 saves, none of the bigger or better than the post-to-post job with 5.2 seconds left in regulation to rob Jack Johnson of a game-winner. He earned his 11th win tonight.

-- The Sharks were 1-for-25 on the power play before Marleau's goal to make it 3-2 at 5:56 of the third period.

-- The Blue Jackets have won six straight in Nationwide Arena against the Sharks.

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